1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to protective covers and, more particularly, to the composition and structure of a temporary protective seat cover used in the automotive industry to protect seats in newly manufactured automobiles.
2. Background Information
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,376 discloses a protective car seat cover in the form of a co-extruded plastic film. Other prior art seat covers have been fabricated from a clear plastic material. The present invention provides an alternative to the device disclosed in this patent. Such seat covers are used to protect the outer surface of an automobile seat from small abrasions, dirt, and moisture during the time period after the seat is manufactured to the time when the vehicle is delivered to the dealer lot.
Vehicle seat covers must not interfere with any vehicle assembly steps that occur after the seats are installed into the vehicle. Thus, the seat covers must remain securely anchored to the seats while workers slid in and out of the vehicle. The seat covers also must be unobtrusive in order to remain out of the workers' way. Further, the covers must be tough enough to withstand numerous people entering and exiting the vehicle.
Some vehicle manufacturers test each vehicle on the road before the vehicle leaves the manufacturing facility. This process includes an examination of vehicle noises. Testers have complained that existing seat covers interfere with the noise portion of the test because the seat covers generate noise as the tester moves in the seat. These testers thus desire a quiet seat cover that meets or exceeds all other requirements for a vehicle seat cover.